The Playbook: Preflop Open-Fold

In this series of articles, I’m going to break down every poker play in the book. Literally. That’s why it’s called The Playbook! Preflop Open-Fold Let’s get started with the most important and least exciting play in poker: the preflop open-fold. You fold before the flop, so the only two cards you’re going to look at are your two hole cards. After you look at them, you might do a little thinking, and then you’re going to throw them away. What makes the open-fold different from some other types of folds is that there is no action ahead of you. You’re not folding because someone has called or raised ahead of you. You’re just folding because your cards are not good enough to turn a profit. They’re not a good investment. I said this is the most important and least exciting play in poker. It’s obvious why it’s the least ...